21 and broke!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Ideally, I would start with an obnoxiously long apology for how terrible a blog-keeper I am, but I don't think everyone needs and/or wants to know why I stopped updating (unless you do, then I would be more than happy to explain later)! You know, this situation eerily reminds me what I was like as a child trying to keep a diary. Sounds like a good idea, but I'm pretty awful at the whole 'committing' thing.

Anyway, my apologies to all those who come to this blog, enjoy it, then realize I've been a terrible blog-parent.

I will give you cheap and easy beauty and home fixes, I promise!

I would love to hear what you guys would like for a new blog post here are some ideas . . .

Monday, June 4, 2012

But, I was recently inspired today while I was pondering all of the absolutely amazing things one can do with baking soda. In all honesty, I use baking soda every day. Whether I am cooking, cleaning, or beautifying myself, baking soda seems to be an ever present miracle worker in my daily routine. Baking soda only costs about 3$ for Arm & Hammer, and the store brands are even cheaper and work just as well (I am currently using the Meijer brand) Here are my favorite ways to use it!

Whiten your teeth with ease!
Two to three times a week I incorporate baking soda into my daily dental routine. After flossing, I load up my toothbrush with my normal amount of toothpaste, wet it down with water from the sink, then I sprinkle baking soda right on top of my toothpaste and brush my teeth as normal. While the taste leaves something to be desired, I can definitely notice a brighter smile, and (bonus!) baking soda neutralizes odors, meaning that you aren't covering up bad breath, you are actually neutralizing the bacteria that causes it!NOTE: Only do this (like I said) two to three times I week. I have been sticking to two lately, as baking soda (if used constantly) can be abrasive and harm the natural enamel on your teeth. Be cautious!

Whiten your nails!
Mix 2 1/2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide, mix until it forms a paste. Using a Q-Tip, apply the paste to each nail, and leave on for 1-3 minutes, depending on desired whiteness. Wash off with water, and voila! Whiter nails! Easy Peasy!NOTE: Again, using this solution daily can be abrasive! I would whiten your nails every four to six weeks, just to be safe!

Get rid of hair product residue!
This is one of my favorite beauty tricks! Once a week, I like to mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with my shampoo when I am in the shower, and wash my hair as normal, then follow up with conditioner. The baking soda eliminates any residue left behind from styling product buildup, and leaves your hair squeaky clean and super manageable!

Exfoliate your skin!Once a week I mix about 1/2 tablespoon with my face wash (currently I am using Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser), mix it in my hand with my finger, then apply to my cheeks and forehead, and scrub in small circular motions, then rinse. The texture is that of small grains of sand, and my absolute favorite way to exfoliate!

There are so many natural ways to incorporate baking sonda into your daily routine, and it is a natural, child and pet safe product that is cheap and easy to use. I'm sure you could find a lor more ways to beautify yourself with baking soda, these are just my favorites that I do every week. Also, my all-natural DIY dry shampoo has baking soda, the recipe can be found in my first post! If you have any questions, please comment!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

I really love hair masks, they are such a quick-fix for lifeless, brittle hair! A hair mask will help you get through that rough spot when you are just DYING for a hair cut, but alas, can't afford it (or your favorite stylist is out of town - it's happened to me more than once!). A hair mask is usually a product that you apply when you are in the shower after you shampoo, similar to a deep-conditioning treatment at salons. Being twenty-one and broke, my current excuse is I can't afford a good haircut right now and my poor, fine hair is screaming for some love! Time to whip up one in my home!

Now, I have tried many, many recipes for at-home hair masks but they tend to involve mayonnaise, and while my hair did become fabulously soft, I couldn't bring myself to concoct them again because I just couldn't stand the smell! The smell of mayonnaise in a hair mask is overpowering, and frankly, makes me want to gag. So, here is my absolute favorite at-home hair mask; it leaves your hair incredibly soft, and smells good (and of course, it's made with products that you probably have in your pantry right now)!

What you will need is:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2-3 tablespoons honey

2 eggs (make sure they are at room temperature!)

Saran wrap (enough to cover your entire head)

Now its just mixing them together! I find it best to pour the extra virgin olive oil into a small bowl first, then slowly add the cocoa powder, mixing as you go. Once combined, add the honey and the eggs. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

TO USE:
The best way (for me) to apply this hair mask is directly onto dry hair. When you apply the hair mask onto dry hair, you wont dilute the mask with water; this tends to make the ingredients not 'soak in' as effectively. I flip my hair upside down (over the bathtub, of course!), and begin applying generously to the ends of my hair. I then work my way up to my scalp, massaging with my fingertips. After applying, while still holding my head upside down, I pile my hair onto the crown of my head, then wrap saran wrap generously over my hair, so that all hair is covered.

I like to leave it on for 5-10 minutes, then remove the saran wrap, and shampoo/condition as normal (you can skip the conditioning, but I like to condition anyway).

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Make sure that you DO NOT take a warm/hot shower, as the eggs will actually cook in your hair! Yuck!

You can add more of the ingredients if you have longer hair

The cocoa powder restores (temporarily) pigment to brunette hair - sort of like a color glaze!

Sometimes, after my hair is wrapped in the saran wrap, I like to heat up the mask with my blow dryer for the 5-10 minutes. This makes the ingredients penetrate the hair better, but be careful its not to hot, you'll cook the eggs!

I like to use dutch-processed cocoa, its more refined and I can tell that some pigment has been restored - but don't fret, regular cocoa will work just fine!

Friday, May 4, 2012

So, for my first post, I decided that I would blog about a fabulous recent DIY venture; natural dry shampoo!

Dry shampoo is excellent for styling hair if it has been awhile since your last shower. I have fine hair, so I feel that I must shower every other day or risk greasy wet-looking hair. Dry shampoo will extend your time between showers by another day or two, depending on the thickness of your hair and how you intend to style it (you shouldn't wash your hair everyday as it will unbalance pH levels, and dry out your hair and skin). Dry shampoo usually comes in an aerosol can, and is sprayed on the roots of your hair to soak up excess grease and dirt, leaving you with more workable hair.

So, you could buy dry shampoo, but lately I've been frugal when it comes to buying certain beauty products as I can usually make them myself naturally and cheaper! Plus, the recent stories about the cosmetic industry not being regulated by the FDA makes me nervous, and a good dry shampoo can be very expensive!

This DIY dry shampoo is so easy, I can almost guarantee you have at least one of these items in your house RIGHT NOW (even better, free!). All you need is:

A Small Tupperware container (with lid if you want to keep it for awhile)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons baking soda

All you have to do is pour the measured amounts of cornstarch and baking soda in your tupperware container, and voila! DIY Dry shampoo!

NOTE: You can also just use one of these products, however through my experience I find that having both is beneficial. While both ingredients do well by themselves, the baking soda also acts like a deodorizer, and the cornstarch tends to soak up grease a tad better. I like the texture of the powder when both ingredients are used as it feels better to work with.

TO USE:
I like to lift up my hair in layers, sprinkling the 'dry shampoo' lightly at the roots with my fingers (sort of like sprinkling salt over food), then flip my hair upside down, massaging my scalp with my fingertips. Apply more to spots that seem more greasy, like the hairline by your ears and the crown of your head.

The first time I made this, it worked like a charm and help me get rid of that nasty 'wet' look, and gave my hair great texture to work with. Again, with my fine hair I find it extremely hard to backcomb and have it stay in place, but after using this DIY dry shampoo I backcombed my hair like crazy and made the cutest messy bun I have EVER styled! Here it is! So, give it a whirl!